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CeraVe vs Neutrogena

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

CeraVe and Neutrogena are two American skincare brands offering moisturizers, sunscreens, cleansers, and more. CeraVe relies on hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting mature skin and oily acne-prone skin best, while Neutrogena additionally utilizes dimethicone, suiting dry skin and mature skin best. Both brands differ primarily in their specific targeted formulations and key ingredient blends designed for daily care.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

Neutrogena is an American skincare brand founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026.

investor.kimberly-clark.comen.wikipedia.orginvestors.kenvue.com

This page compares some of the most popular CeraVe and Neutrogena products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular CeraVe vs Neutrogena products

People Say

CeraVeNeutrogena
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “Skin looked plumper and radiant — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “It also hydrates my skin. This cream has been so easy to add to my routine. — Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formulation Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “clean but not dry — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
  • Fragrance-free options Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “Perfect for sensitive eyes, no stinging — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream”
  • Skin texture improvement Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “difference in my skin's texture is noticeable — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “smoother complexion — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “less greasy — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Value for money and affordability Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “reasonably priced — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “Huge tub lasts forever — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “Great everyday moisturizer — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “great price point — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Packaging and design issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “The dropper is not efficient. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Hate dipping fingers into a jar — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Find it unsanitary — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
  • Unpleasant or slimy textures Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “feels like washing with conditioner — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “too sticky — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “leaves greasy film — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
    • “formula is too runny — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
  • Unpleasant scents or fragrances Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like plastic — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”

CeraVe vs Neutrogena routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

CeraVe vs Neutrogena routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

CeraVe vs Neutrogena routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Neutrogena: which is better?

Both brands are equally matched for overall routines, but CeraVe does better for dry sensitive skin and offers more consistently fragrance-free options across the products on this page. CeraVe also ranks higher for gentle formulations and skin texture improvement.

What is the difference between CeraVe and Neutrogena?

CeraVe better fits dry sensitive skin with an Average Lovi rating compared to Neutrogena which reaches High, while both brands offer equal routine fits for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin types. CeraVe also excels in offering gentler, non-stripping formulations and better skin texture improvement, whereas Neutrogena has more packaging and design issues.

CeraVe or Neutrogena for oily skin?

Both CeraVe and Neutrogena offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Both brands provide lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers and effective cleansers.

CeraVe or Neutrogena: which moisturizer is better?

CeraVe and Neutrogena both offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin, with CeraVe standing out for its ceramide-dominant barrier repair lipids. CeraVe's products on this page are entirely fragrance-free, whereas Neutrogena includes fragrance in a few of its formulations.

Which is more affordable, CeraVe or Neutrogena?

CeraVe is more affordable, as the products on this page do better for value for money compared to Neutrogena.

Between CeraVe and Neutrogena, which brand has better fragrance-free options?

Both CeraVe and Neutrogena offer a high number of fragrance-free options on this page. Every single product listed for CeraVe contains no fragrance, whereas Neutrogena features fragrance-free options in 35 of its 39 products.

How do CeraVe and Neutrogena compare for dry sensitive skin?

CeraVe has a High routine fit for dry sensitive skin, whereas Neutrogena has an Average routine fit. Both brands offer products that help provide deep hydration, but CeraVe rates better overall for offering gentle, non-stripping formulations.

Which brand performs better for skin texture improvement according to reviewers?

CeraVe performs better for skin texture improvement according to reviewers. The brand also provides a more gentle and non-stripping formulation as well as better value for money and affordability.

CeraVe or Neutrogena for sensitive skin?

Both CeraVe and Neutrogena offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but CeraVe achieves a High fit for dry sensitive skin while Neutrogena reaches an Average fit. Furthermore, every product on the CeraVe page is fragrance-free, whereas four Neutrogena products list fragrance. Both brands help provide deep hydration through ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

CeraVe or Neutrogena: which sunscreen is better?

Both CeraVe and Neutrogena offer highly effective sunscreens on their pages, but CeraVe stands out for having every product fragrance-free, while Neutrogena includes scented options. Both brands feature sunscreens with high Lovi fit levels for various skin types.

CeraVe or Neutrogena for acne-prone skin?

Both CeraVe and Neutrogena offer a high routine fit for acne-prone skin with the products on this page. CeraVe tends to do better on gentle formulation and skin texture improvement, while Neutrogena often features lightweight and absorbent options.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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